Exposé Online » Reviews of releases for 1997

This is a fine release that will appeal equally to fans of pure guitar technique and to fans of good old acoustic jazz and blues guitar. It is definitely tempting to write on and on about how the... » Read more(Posted by Steve Robey 1999-11-01)

It's truly amazing what people can pull out of the vaults that wasn't originally released in the first place. This collaboration between Ashra's Manuel Göttsching and Agitation Free's Michael Hoenig... » Read more(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1996-03-01)

Listening to From Acid Dreams, it’s clear that the largest influence on More Experience is early Pink Floyd: shades of “Astronomy Domine” appear regularly. But there are other sounds as... » Read more(Posted by Jon Davis 2015-05-17)

From the Black Forest city of Freiburg in southern Germany hail the multi-talented Fichter brothers, Klaus and Rolf. In 1972 they released on the Brain label an album called A Meditation... » Read more(Posted by Mike Ohman 1995-03-01)

Frankly, this is one of those reissues I thought I would never see. The (now long defunct) Kapp label issued these two albums in the late 60s, after which they quickly faded into obscurity. At a time... » Read more(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Frankly, this is one of those reissues I thought I would never see. The (now long defunct) Kapp label issued these two albums in the late 60s, after which they quickly faded into obscurity. At a time... » Read more(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Frankly, this is one of those reissues I thought I would never see. The (now long defunct) Kapp label issued these two albums in the late 60s, after which they quickly faded into obscurity. At a time... » Read more(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

This six-piece from Holland had been together since the early 70s, yet their first and only album wasn't to be released until '79. Plagued by setbacks, poor distribution, and lack of record company... » Read more(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-08-01)

Since disbanding BeBop Deluxe more than twenty years ago, Bill Nelson has released more than thirty solo albums ranging from engaging progressive pop to long ambient works written for art... » Read more(Posted by Jon Davis 2001-03-01)

There is a recent trend in reissuing albums these days, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, etc., where the reissue includes DVDs containing the original mix, lossless mixes, as well as 5.1 surround sound... » Read more(Posted by Henry Schneider 2014-09-18)

They're called Visible Touch though they have nothing whatsoever to do with 80s Genesis or any Genesis for that matter. Think instead of all those great 80s hair-farmer bands: The Scorpions, Judas... » Read more(Posted by Pam Thompson 1999-01-01)

Tonart’s new CD Fünf is a study of human voice deconstruction and manipulation. The source material for Fünf consists solely of three separate spoken recordings by Lars... » Read more(Posted by Henry Schneider 1997-12-31)

Not to Be or Not to Be is Cliffhanger’s second release and Musea’s promotional material raves about this band. However I find the music to be derivative of Genesis era... » Read more(Posted by Henry Schneider 1997-12-31)

Outer Limits were a Japanese band from the 80s and this CD is a reissue of their swan song recorded live at NHK FM Radio Studios on 15 April, 1987. Consisting of two instrumentals and three vocal... » Read more(Posted by Henry Schneider 1997-12-31)

Here is one that Edison Records (RIP) of Japan spared no laudatory word on when it was first reissued by them back in the early 90s. Marquee's encyclopedia claims its origins as a cassette release... » Read more(Posted by Mike Ezzo 1999-01-01)

It was February when I bought this on a whim, and it only took a few listens for me to revise my Best of 97 list to include it. Lili Haydn is a violinist of great talent. She’s apparently been doing... » Read more(Posted by Jon Davis 1999-01-01)

What’s this? Are the pot headed pixies at it again? Wait a minute, this is not a reissue but an incredible and impeccable Gong cover by those psychedelic Norwegians The Smell of Incense. The... » Read more(Posted by Henry Schneider 1998-05-05)

Saying Israeli composer and vocalist Meira Asher is a vanguard comes as a bit of an understatement. Her work has been acclaimed worldwide as she meshes and scrutinizes world culture to fit her... » Read more(Posted by Jeff Melton 2006-05-01)

Stinkhorn was one of Seattle’s most challenging modern jazz quartets, blending John Zorn style motifs and English fusion approaches. Strong comparisons to George Cartwright and Curlew can be made... » Read more(Posted by Jeff Melton 2006-05-01)

We can all think of examples of a progressive band over time starting to play music more in the mainstream (Genesis, Yes, pick your example), but how many times have we seen a mainstream band, as... » Read more(Posted by Jon Davis 1998-02-01)

Hovda is an important, yet little known composer who has been active on the contemporary music scene for over twenty years, mostly through live performances, scores for dance companies (of which... » Read more(Posted by Peter Thelen 1999-01-01)

You have to admit, with a title as academic sounding as this, one would not be unjustified in expecting a musical experience on the equivalent stimulation level of a botany lecture. That "new music"... » Read more(Posted by Mike Ezzo 1999-01-01)

The same veiled (an under-promoted!) Hungarian label that is teasing us with Talizman, and After Crying, now goes to the other side for a symphonic keyboard recording by Laren d'Or. A solo project?... » Read more(Posted by Mike Ezzo 1999-01-01)

Amateur psych, like the two reissued titles here by Swedish musician St Mikael, is not flattered by the CD medium. The effect-lavished, drivel-through-a-tunnel sound that these types of garage... » Read more(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1999-11-01)

Simon Phillips is a drummer who has little to prove nowadays, what with the monstrous level of playing ability he has cultivated over the years. Terry Bozzio is perhaps his closest competitor... » Read more(Posted by Mike Ezzo 1999-11-01)

Tuatara's CD was one of those Tower Listening Station impulse purchases. I'd never heard of it, but it sounded so cool in the headphones I ended up taking it home. It starts out with a whirring... » Read more(Posted by Jon Davis 1997-10-01)

This one took me several listens before I could even begin to pin it down enough to write a review. Covering a wide spectrum of art rock, Box of Crayons are certainly interesting. Their starting point... » Read more(Posted by Steve Robey 1999-01-01)

This progressive group is of the sort that could only come from France in the 70s where a distinctive and idiosyncratic form of weirdness flourished. » Read more(Posted by David Ashcraft 1999-01-01)

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Previously in Exposé...

III Milenio - Aliança dos Tempos –
Here's an example of where vocals can be quite innovative and then subsequently make you wince. The album is obviously a concept album and in the vein of Ange, the vocals are theatrical often being...
(1994) »
Read more

Scott Mosher - Deep Horizon –
Progressive metal has been around long enough now that a new release
has to have something different about it in order to catch my interest.
Scott Mosher does a good job doing that with the first...
(2007) »
Read more

Mitchell Froom - A Thousand Days –
Solo piano records can be a strong romantic but minimalist statement depending on the performer and how personal he would like to make it. Froom’s biography reads like a who’s-who of modern pop...
(2006) »
Read more

Nuova Era - Il Passo del Soldato –
Nuova Era are one of the few newer Italian groups performing music in the 70s style of dramatic/romantic/ symphonic rock with strong hints of Banco, PFM, Metamorfosi etc. Their second album, Dopo...
(1996) »
Read more

SBB - Blue Trance –
The legendary SBB is back once again with Blue Trance, same lineup as last time (multi-instrumentalist Józef Skrzek, guitarist Apostolis Anthimos, and drummer Gabor Nemeth), this must be like...
(2011) »
Read more